How to: Push-ups

One of the most effective, convenient, and versatile strength exercises you can do is the push-up. Push-ups are effective in that they hit multiple muscle groups at once, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They are convenient in that they can be done anywhere and only require your own body weight. Finally, they are versatile in that they can be modified to be done by people of all fitness levels.

As a trainer, the push-up is an exercise that I often see performed incorrectly. By performing a push-up incorrectly, you are cheating yourself of potential strength building and setting yourself up for possible injury. Let’s break down how to perform a proper push-up.

How to Perform a Proper Push-Up

Begin by placing hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and feet together.

Draw in navel and contract glutes to form a straight line from the crown of your head to your feet.

Keeping back flat, lower your body toward the ground by bending your elbows and retracting and depressing the shoulder blades. Lower until your arms reach a 90 degree angle or to the point where you begin to compensate your form.

Keep your elbows tucked in toward your torso so your upper arms form a 45 degree angle with your torso when at the bottom of the move.

Push back up to starting position by extending your arms and contracting your chest.

Starting Position

Bottom Position – Side View

Bottom Position – Overhead View

Here are the three most common push-up errors I see:

Error #1: Hips sag towards the floor

Error #2: Head juts forward and reaches the floor preventing the full range of movement for the push-up

Error #3: Hips too high and out of line with the body

***If you cannot perform a push-up with proper form, it is better to perform modified push-ups with proper form to build up the strength necessary to perform regular push-ups.***

Modifications for the push-up (in order of increasing difficulty):

Push-up with hands on a wall

Push-up with hands on a counter or table

Push-up on your knees (instead of your toes)

Push-up with hands on a weight bench

Once you’ve mastered the basic push-up, you can improve your strength by doing more reps, more sets, and performing some of these variations on the push-up:

Push-up with one foot stacked on top of the other

Decline push-up (feet elevated higher than your hands)

Push-up with feet on a stability ball

Push-up with hands on a stability ball

Push-up with one hand on a medicine ball and one hand on the ground

Push-up with both hands on medicine balls

Push-up with hands on an upside-down bosu

Tricep push-up (aka diamond push-up)

Plyometric push-up

Single-arm push-up

The possibilities are endless. What are you waiting for – add some push-ups to your regular exercise routine today!

***Special thanks to my husband for offering to let me take his photo 🙂

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About me:

Hi, I'm Andrea. I'm a wife, dog-mom, and new mother with a background in public health and personal training. I live in Washington, D.C., and I love everything running and fitness related. My blog is a collection of health news, training advice, and my own training experiences. Welcome to my blog!